Nurses in general can be divided into two groups. LPNs, or licensed practical nurses, and RNs, or registered nurses. LPNs study nursing between nine and 18 months. An LPN earns a certificate in nursing. RNs complete between two and four years of post-secondary education courses. An RN earns either an associate's or bachelor's degree in nursing.
Student nurses can attend classes in a school of nursing, community college, four-year college or university. Nursing schools have a curriculum that focuses tightly on nursing courses and aims to help students master all necessary aspects of the profession. Students can study here to become an LPN or RN. Community colleges offer both certificates in nursing and an associate's degree in the subject. Students can earn a four-year degree in nursing at a college or university. The four-year degree is known as a BSN or bachelor of science in nursing degree.
Requirements to enter a nursing program and study nursing vary depending upon the type of program in question. For example a student who wishes to enter the LPN program at the Rochester Community and Technical College in Rochester, Minnesota, must meet requirements that include a high school diploma with a 2.0 GPA as well as completion of certain additional courses. A student who wants to enter a four-year RN program may need a higher GPA as well as certain minimum combined SAT scores and completion of certain specific courses such as biology and chemistry. Academic officials should closely scrutinize applicants to make sure they have completed all necessary coursework. Students should be made aware that submitting false credentials may result in expulsion from the program.
Student nurses study subjects related to the practice of nursing including pharmacology, the psychology of disease, human anatomy and microbiology. LPN coursework focuses on the practical side of nursing including direct patient care while RNs study such subjects in more depth and take liberal arts classes as well. Student nursing programs should help student nurses adhere to rigorous standards of academic integrity by strictly enforcing codes against cheating and plagiarism. Student nurses should be asked to demonstrate mastery of material in class by directly performing procedures such as inserting intravenous medications and correctly illustrating how to take a patient's history in front of a nursing instructor.
The American Nurses Association is an organization that represents millions of nurses. The association has developed a code of ethics designed to help nurses make sure they can perform "nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession." Student nurses should be made aware of the details of the code during their undergraduate studies in order to help them prepare for entrance into the profession as members who fully understand all the ethical aspects of nursing.